As Coronavirus Cases Surge In Florida, Can Schools Safely Reopen?

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A woman walks past a closed restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida on Tuesday, amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

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Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

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Miami Is Becoming The ‘Epicenter Of The Pandemic,’ Expert Warns

As COVID-19 cases have risen in Florida, many are questioning a push by the state to reopen schools next month. Florida recently issued a directive requiring all school districts to offer in-person instruction. In Broward County, Florida’s second largest school district, Superintendent Robert Runcie this week said, contrary to that order, he’s recommending the year begin with online instruction only. «When conditions improve, «Runcie said, «additional options will be introduced, including face-to-face learning.»

At the meeting with the Governor, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber criticized the state for telling school districts they must hold classes in person. «Everybody wants their kids back at school,» Gelber said. «But we do send a message to them when we say we’re going to open up your schools. We let them know it’s safe for them. And I’m not sure a lot of our parents feel like they know, frankly if it’s going to be safe or not.» Gov. DeSantis interrupted, saying, «There’s risk in everything.» DeSantis says he believes the coronavirus poses a low risk for children. «I don’t think we should try to scare parents and act like somehow this is more of a threat to their kids than it actually is.»

Pediatricians and public health experts are more cautious in their assessments of how children are affected by the coronavirus. In Florida’s Palm Beach County, where the school district is looking at its options for when school resumes, the county’s health director, Dr. Alina Alonso had a warning. «While many of these especially younger people are asymptomatic, when you take X-rays of their lungs…they are seeing there is damage to the lungs,» she said. «We don’t know how that is going to manifest a year from now or two years from now. Is that child going to have chronic pulmonary problems?»

• COVID-19
• Gov. Ron DeSantis
• coronavirus
• Florida